Calming Draught
by Molly Morrison
Summary: Sometimes we say someone should "take a chill pill." The wizarding world has a real equivalent: the Calming Draught. So why did Snape never think to consume one himself? One shot.


A/N: This story came about when I was thinking about the availability of a Calming Draught, and Snape being a potions master. After all… one would think he would avail himself of his own potions and draughts instead of getting into towering rages. (Or perhaps Dumbledore would "suggest" that he do so.) The point is, he didn't. So why?

**Calming Draught**

"_All the fifth years were suffering from stress to some degree, but Hannah Abbott became the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after she burst into tears during Herbology and sobbed that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now."_

Harry wasn't having a nervous fit like some of the fifth years; he still shuddered to imagine himself breaking down like Hannah Abbott had. On the other hand, O.W.L.s were about the last thing he was worried about, what with Voldemort, Umbridge, the D.A., and everything else that had been going on. Failing his O.W.L.s had hardly crossed his mind, and it wasn't as though the Dursleys were going to be disappointed in him.

Still, he thought the artificial calm of one of Madam Pomfrey's now infamous draughts would be nice. It might even help him "clear his mind" during Occlumency. With that in his mind, he was about to tiptoe into the Hospital Wing. Or at least, he was until he heard raised voices inside. He decided to remain right outside.

"No, I will not make you a single extra Calming Draught!" Harry heard Snape's voice yell. "I only made you the few that I did under strict orders from Albus, and no orders will be strong enough to force me to abet you in this any further!"

Madam Pomfrey's voice sounded considerably calmer, though it was a forced calm. "That's fine, Severus. I will simply make my own Calming Draughts; they are not very difficult and--"

"You will do no such thing!" exclaimed Snape, sounding if possible more furious. "I will buy every ingredient out from under you. I will redirect your owls and assure that you cannot make a single potion!"

"Severus, be reasonable," the school nurse replied. "There were simply not enough Calming Draughts; this is a very stressful year for the students, what with--with _her,_ and You-Know-Who.. and their normal stresses besides."

"Have you read the literature?" Snape growled, still sounding angry but calming ever so slightly. "Calming Draughts could easily destroy their ability to moderate their own emotions!"

"You're one to talk," said Pomfrey in a teasing voice. "And besides, there was only one case of that, and quite a while ago besides.."

"Only one case!" thundered Snape, no longer keeping even a semblance of controlling his voice. "And how do you think that person feels, unable to control his own emotions? Don't you think that person might have liked to know that by staying so calm he was destroying his ability to ever be calm again?!"

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I'm sure it must be very unpleasant for him, but that doesn't mean that we can't calmly discuss _reasonable_ limits on the number of Calming Draughts the children consume."

"Yes, it _does_ mean that we cannot 'calmly' discuss!" Snape yelled, before lowering his voice slightly. "Honestly, woman, are you completely daft? Put the pieces together!"

"What piec--oh. _Oh_." There was a slight pause. "You don't mean to tell me that _you_--"

"Yes, I _do_ mean to tell you that I am that _one_ case that you would so like to ignore! And has it occurred to you that if it is such an easy potion, that perhaps if certain industrious students are put in mind of it, they might create one of their own? Or perhaps more than one, not knowing about the 'one' case?"

"Oh, Severus.. what happened? And when? Surely not while you were at Hogwarts...?"

"That is beside the point!" Severus fairly yelled. "The point is, I know what it's like, and you will not even put it in the minds of students!"

"Really, Severus, I think you are overreacting.. after all, you _do_ have a personal conn--"

"I am not overreacting, and I will not make any more Calming Draughts, nor will you! And that's final!" Snape screamed, and then stormed out. Right past Harry.

Harry remained very still, hoping Snape was so angry that he wouldn't notice him. Snape got about ten paces past him, and then froze in place. He stood very, very still for a moment. Then he said, very slowly and deliberately, "Whoever was eavesdropping on that conversation, I do not want to know. I will give you ten seconds to disappear, and if I ever hear word of this spreading, I will track you down and personally do to you all the things that are running through my mind right now." He was silent, and Harry didn't wait for him to change his mind or to try to argue with him or apologize. As quickly and as quietly as he could, he turned around and hurried around the nearest corner. Then he broke into a full run and kept going until he was almost lost in the school and he could no longer keep running. Then he slowly calmed down and went down to dinner, just barely in time to catch Ron and Hermione and enter with them as if he had come all the way from Gryffindor Tower with them. And no matter how many questions they asked, he wasn't going to share _that_ story with them.


End file.
